Read More

There were 78 appeals heard in relation to primary school places in Reading last year.

That means 3.2 per cent of all admissions led to an appeal.

Of the appeals that were heard, seven - or 9 per cent - were successful.

Elsewhere in Berkshire, those who appealed their child’s primary school place were most likely to be successful in Wokingham, where 15.7 per cent of appeals went in the parent’s favour, followed by 13.6 per cent in Bracknell Forest.

Appeals heard and successful

Scroll across for full results

Area

Primary appeals heard

% of admissions

Primary appeals successful

% of appeals heard

Secondary appeals heard

% of admissions

Secondary appeals successful

% of appeals heard

ENGLAND

16643

2

3186

19.1

27877

4.1

6529

23.4

Bracknell Forest

22

1.2

3

7

0.5

0.5

1

14.3

Reading

78

3.2

7

43

2.4

2.4

8

18.6

West Berkshire

19

0.7

2

35

1.6

1.6

13

37.1

Wokingham

83

2.7

13

41

2

2

10

24.4

For secondary school places, 43 appeals were heard in Reading last year, the equivalent of 2.4 per cent of all admissions.

Of those heard, eight were successful, or 18.6 per cent.

Of those who appealed their child’s secondary school place, those in West Berkshire - where 37.1 per cent of appeals went in the parent’s favour - were most likely to be successful. Wokingham, where the figure was 24.4 per cent, had the second highest rate.

Just 14.3 per cent of parents in Bracknell Forest won their appeal, the lowest success rate locally.

Applicants can lodge appeals against any school at which they have not been awarded a place, but not all appeals reach the stage of being heard by a panel - some, for example, are withdrawn.

The heard rate is therefore a better measure of the general appeal rate.

Overall 44,520 appeals were heard in relation to places starting in September 2017 in England, the equivalent of 3.0 per cent of new admissions.

That compares to 44,626 (2.9 per cent) the previous year, according to the figures published by the Department for Education.

Across England, 9,715 appeals went in the parent’s favour, a success rate of 21.8 per cent of those appeals which were heard by an appeals panel.

This is unchanged from the number and percentage successful last year.

At primary level, 16,643 appeals were heard, 2.0 per cent of all admissions, with a success rate of 19.1 per cent, up from 18.1 per cent.

At secondary level the rate of appeals heard was 4.1 per cent of admissions.

The proportion of secondary appeals heard has increased from 3.6 per cent for September 2015 starts and 3.7 per cent for September 2016 starts, and is at its highest rate since at least 2013 (data is unavailable for 2011 and 2012 and 4.5 per cent of admissions led to an appeal being heard for September 2010 starts).

The success rate was 23.4 per cent, down from 24.6 per cent for appeals relating to September 2016 starts, and the lowest level recorded in the time series, which goes back to 2004.